How much biotin for it to be effective?

[Shibe]

Someone mentioned on another forum that any less than 6000mcg of Biotin a day is basically ineffective!

Her only source was that she heard it from her Aunt, who happened to be a nurse.

That would mean I would have to take 6 pills a day!

Please tell me this is wrong!

[furnival]

The amount of biotin that you need to boost your hair growth is exactly the amount you are deficient by. Have you had blood tests to determine whether you are deficient or not?

Just because one of the symptoms of biotin deficiency is alopecia, it doesn't mean that taking more than your body needs will make your hair grow faster. This is, however, the reasoning used by purveyors of high-dose biotin supplements.

Biotin is produced by the gastrointestinal flora (bacteria in our digestive systems), making it unlikely that you are deficient unless you have been eating two or more raw egg whites a day for several months! It sounds mad, but this is the main cause of biotin deficiency. From Wikipedia:
"Biotin deficiency is mild, and can be addressed with supplementation. It is caused by the consumption of raw egg whites (two or more daily for several months) due to the avidin they contain, a protein which binds extremely strongly with biotin, making it unavailable. Such regimens have produced the only examples of biotin deficiency serious enough to produce symptoms.[3]"

The symptoms make it clear that if you were deficient, you'd know about it: (from the same article)
"Hair loss (alopecia)
Conjunctivitis
Dermatitis in the form of a scaly, red rash around the eyes, nose, mouth, and genital area.
Neurological symptoms in adults, such as depression, lethargy, hallucination, and numbness and tingling of the extremities[10]
The characteristic facial rash, together with an unusual facial fat distribution, has been termed the "biotin-deficient face" by some experts. Individuals with hereditary disorders of biotin deficiency have evidence of impaired immune system function, including increased susceptibility to bacterial and fungal infections.[24]"

It's up to you if you want to take huge doses of the stuff, but I wouldn't recommend it. The best substance I've found to aid in the growth of long, healthy hair is patience... :p

[Shibe]

I don't have any issues with hair thinning or baldness, is that what the primary use is for?

I thought it was an oral supplement that has similar effects to monistat.

[furnival]

Biotin is a vitamin that your body needs that can cause hair loss if you don't get enough of it. It isn't a magic hair growth pill.

Monistat is an anti-fungal cream that has never been scientifically proven to have an effect on hair growth rates. :shrug:

[HazelBug]

I heard that 35 mcg was the recomended daily allowance. Of course it is a B vitimin so any that your body doesn't use gets peed out. My prenatals have 300 mcg and says it contains 1000% of the daily needs for a pregnant person.

[Shibe]

I have found Monistat to give me a big boost. My normally .25" hair growth a month has gone up to .75", and the only thing I've been doing differently is the Monistat.

I think I'll lay off the Biotin for now, I don't want to put something in that I don't need. I take prenatals as it is.

[diddiedaisy]

I take 5000mg in a single tablet, it doesn't seem to have increased my slow growth but my shedding is very low now and I have a lot of new growth. I have also put weight on but this was welcome to me as I was underweight.

I thinks it's a case of see what works for you, if it doesn't give you any benefits it's not worth taking.

[Fericera]

Just yesterday I saw a thread where biotin made someone's scalp very tender. I don't think it's something that's good to supplement unless you have a deficiency.

[furnival]

Yes there was some good advice in that thread: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=120905

[Valkyriejae]

I've had good results with 250-300mcg/day, although my skin broke out like CRAZY when I tried going up to 500mcg/day. Of course, YMMV.

[RancheroTheBee]

I'm from the camp that if I couldn't conceivably get something from my diet, I have no business getting it from a vitamin. I take a HSN multivitamin that has a very small amount of biotin in it, the same amount I could get from having a well-rounded diet (which I don't have).

It's true that your kidneys will excrete excess biotin from your body; this means that a) you are taking an excess, which is unnecessary and a waste of money, and b) putting stress on your kidneys. The renal system can get stressed out. I would caution against megadosing for anyone considering it, personally. Just my two cents.

[jeanniet]

It's true that your kidneys will excrete excess biotin from your body; this means that a) you are taking an excess, which is unnecessary and a waste of money, and b) putting stress on your kidneys. The renal system can get stressed out. I would caution against megadosing for anyone considering it, personally. Just my two cents.

And if you have undiagnosed kidney disease (kidney disease often has very few symptoms), stressing your kidneys could be very damaging. At certain levels of disease, even drinking water puts undue stress on the kidneys. If you must megadose biotin, go to your doctor and have your creatinine level and GFR tested as a baseline, then once yearly thereafter. And if you're in a high risk group (hypertension, diabetic, African-American, or Hispanic), don't even consider it, because above all else you should be protecting your kidney function.

[Pamala513]

I take 5000mg of biotin , one pill a at, and one super b complex to combat the acne that can be associated with biotin, both on my Dr. Recommendation for hair shedding due to my thyroid meds. I started 5 months ago, and I have increased hair and nail growth as well as very little shedding. I have been very happy with the results.

[Long_hair_bear]

I take one small pill of biotin daily.

[Shibe]

My pills are 1000mcg, so I suppose it would be safe.

[longishhair]

OP, if you're pregnant (you mention taking prenatals), I'd strongly advise you to only take medications and vitamins as prescribed by your doctor. You might be endangering yourself otherwise.

[Shibe]

I'm not pregnant. I take prenatals because I don't have a completely nutritious diet.

[HazelBug]

I'm not pregnant. I take prenatals because I don't have a completely nutritious diet.

If you aren't pregnant or trying right now, a regular multivitimin made for women (I assume your female) would probably be better for you. Prenatals have very high levels of iron and some other nutrients which are specifically designed for the crazy demand of pregnancy. If you aren't careful you could overdose. Of course it is good that you want to take care of yourself and make up the difference for what you may be missing in your diet. But be careful ok. Vitimins are a medication.

Anyway, I hope I'm not sounding mean or rude or anything. It's pretty hard to get across tone of voice in text form! But I do wish you the best! If you are concerned about vitimin levels then you should talk to a doctor, dietician and do some solid research. That way you aren't guessing about stuff. Most librarries have tons of books on nutrition and supliments.

If you haven't got the best diet then it may be worth while to work on that. Of course dietary changes can be incredibly hard, especially if your life is busy. Good luck and I hope you find the info you are looking for!

[Shibe]

I have IBD and taking pre natals is a good idea for women who are preparing for conception.

I do appreciate your concerns though, it's very much appreciated!

[HazelBug]

I have IBD and taking pre natals is a good idea for women who are preparing for conception.

I do appreciate your concerns though, it's very much appreciated!

Well, I just looked up what ibd was. Sorry you have to deal with that! Sounds pretty uncomfortable! Yep, prenatals can be great when trying for a baby!

Well, it seems that you might actually have a harder time getting stuff like biotin in if you are dealing with ibd. I would think that it could reduce your ability to absorb nutrients? If your gut flora is affected it seems that it would be harder to get a proper amount in. Since biotin is peed out if you take too much, I don't see the harm in taking a bigger dose. My prenatals have 300 mcg for a full dose. But it takes 6 pills for a whole dose. (they are really high quality and I like being able to take only a partial dose on some days. I'm pregnant right now) I use vital nutrients brand. They are one of the few things that my digestive system can handle.

[Panth]

Well, I just looked up what ibd was. Sorry you have to deal with that! Sounds pretty uncomfortable! Yep, prenatals can be great when trying for a baby!

Well, it seems that you might actually have a harder time getting stuff like biotin in if you are dealing with ibd. I would think that it could reduce your ability to absorb nutrients? If your gut flora is affected it seems that it would be harder to get a proper amount in. Since biotin is peed out if you take too much, I don't see the harm in taking a bigger dose. My prenatals have 300 mcg for a full dose. But it takes 6 pills for a whole dose. (they are really high quality and I like being able to take only a partial dose on some days. I'm pregnant right now) I use vital nutrients brand. They are one of the few things that my digestive system can handle.

*gah* When will people stop thinking water-soluble = totally harmless, no matter the dose!?

To "just pee it out" it still requires work by your kidneys - and if your kidneys are already under strain, or if you mega-dose enough that you put them under strain... Not good!